Innocent Bystander May Have Been Killed In Oxnard Officer-Involved Shooting

OXNARD (CBSLA.com) — An innocent bystander may have been killed following a chase and gunfire exchange involving Oxnard police Saturday night.

Police pulled over a vehicle carrying three men on a routine traffic stop around 10:15 p.m. in the area of Second Street and Grant Avenue.

Officials said the suspects refused to comply with the officers’ instructions for about 10 minutes.

“As the officers coordinated their response and continued to try and gain the subjects’ compliance, the driver suddenly drove from the scene and attempted to evade the officers,” authorities said.

After a short pursuit, the driver stopped the car in the 100 block of North Garfield Avenue and the men bailed on foot.

One suspect was arrested after he surrendered.

The officers chased the other two suspects and a shootout ensued.

“At some point, an officer-involved shooting occurred,” said Capt. Don Aguilar from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. “The subject fired at the officers and the officers returned gunfire.”

Jose Zepeda Jr., 24, suffered from a fatal gunshot wound at the scene.

The other suspect suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Alfonso Limon, 21, was shot and killed during the gunfire.

However, police are investigating if he had any connection to the pursuit.

Limon’s sister, Rebecca, said he was an innocent victim.

“He was coming home from a run with my other brother. They were walking home when they encountered the pursuit and they were caught in the middle of everything. My brother was killed that night,” she said.

Limon’s friend, Armando Delgadillo, said, “He was coming from school after exercising. Something was going on in the area. He was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.”

No officers were injured in the incident.

The shooting is being investigated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the Oxnard Police Department.